1. Field of the Invention
This invention related generally to pockets for flat-sided articles such as ammunition magazines, PDA's, telephones, radios, and the like, and is concerned in particular with an improved hinged pocket designed to accommodate rapid insertion, secure retention, and rapid retrieval of such articles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the military field, conventional magazine pockets are either fully closed by shielding flaps that serve to protect the magazines from exposure to dirt, dust, and other contaminants, or are partially closed by straps serving primarily to prevent the magazines from falling out, or are left open with interior cushioned surfaces serving to retain the magazines in place.
When using fully or partially enclosed pockets in dangerous areas, soldiers will usually open the tops of spare pockets by tucking their shielding flats or straps behind the magazines to facilitate easier access under duress. However, the exposed magazines are thus prone to being accidentally dislodged and lost as the soldiers maneuver vigorously during combat operations.
Moreover, once the shielding flaps of the fully enclosed pockets are tucked out of the way, magazine retrieval remains problematical. Fingers must be forced into spaces between the inside walls of the pockets and the sides of the magazines, and the magazines then pinched between the fingers and extracted. Once extracted, the magazines must be gripped to orient them properly for insertion into the weapons.
Some soldiers will tape or tie loops to the exposed magazine ends to assist them when extracting the magazines from the pockets. These loops, however, add additional cost, require additional effort to configure, and still require that the magazines be gripped during extraction in a manner that is suboptimal for rapid insertion into the weapons.
In pockets with open tops, extraction and insertion forces are directly proportional to the retention capabilities of the pocket. Thus, secure retention is unavoidably accompanied by disadvantageously high insertion and extraction forces.